...opposition the foreign equivalent of Enfield Town.
I agree with you to a point. I think the Europey is far more grueling than the CL, but it doesn't become taxing for most PL clubs until the final stages. Up to that point, there should be absolutely no excuse for a PL side fielding anything other than a reserve squad.
I'd like to see us use the competition to give the likes of LOLdado, Lame-la, and Paulhino an opportunity to get a feel for how we play, and to build up some confidence.